The Girl On Fire
by lizzzy23
Summary: The Hunger Games where Katniss is able to save Rue but it may come with a price. Katniss, Rue, and Peeta.
1. Savior

"Katniss! Katniss!" Rue cries out not far off in the distance.

Without hesitating Katniss responds, "Rue!" letting the girl know she is near. Her shout not only warned Rue of her location, but also any other tributes looking for prey.

Katniss follows the consistent cries of Rue. Bow ready in hand, Katniss spots the girl from District 11 as she nears the clearing. Rue is lying the ground hopelessly entangled in a net.

"Rue, it's okay. It's okay" Katniss tries to calm the girl who resembled her little sister Prim. She quickly kneels beside her, laying her bow on the ground to grab the knife resting in her belt.

Katniss cuts through the mesh enough for Rue to climb out of the entanglement.

"Thank you" Rue gasps as she hugs Katniss for saving her life. Slightly shocked, Katniss hesitates for only a second before hugging Rue back.

"Katniss!" Rue screams.

Katniss knows from the shear terror in Rue's voice that something is terribly wrong. Her sisterly instinct takes over as she moves in front of Rue to block whatever danger lie ahead.

In a split second Katniss arms herself with her bow and arrow and fires in the direction Rue is pointing. She hits her target square in the neck killing him instantly before he can realize what happened. But not before a spear leaves his hands.

As if in slow motion, Katniss sees the District 1 boy's spear plunge in to her body. The pain is like nothing she had ever experienced. Before this instant Katniss had always thought that burns were the worst kind of pain. She was wrong.

Katniss falls to her knees. The rest of her body follows. But before her head hits the forest floor, Rue quickly catches her. Crouching before her, Rue gently holds Katniss upper torso in her lap.

Katniss feels a warm liquid forming a small puddle around her. She lifts her trembling hand to find the source. She meets the shaft of the spear, with the spearhead buried deeply in her stomach.

_This is it_, she thinks. _This is the end. I lost the Hunger Games and have failed Prim. I'm so sorry Prim. _

"K-Katniss?" Rue asks terrified.

"Hey" Katniss whispers. Rue is barely able to catch the word.

"Please don't go" Rue begs. Tears forming in her eyes.

"I c-can't stay much longer" Katniss replies with a calm voice, trying to mask her pain and fear from Rue.

Watching Katniss accept her fate, tears stream down Rue's face.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn't ha-"

"No, Rue. It's not your fault" Katniss finds Rue's hand and grips it with her remaining energy. Rue tightens her grip. "P-Promise me something?"

"Anything." Tears now pouring down Rue's cheeks.

"Promise me you'll win."

"Of course…for the both of us." Rue let's out a saddened smile.

"Good" Katniss weakly returns the smile.

_What a way to go, _Katniss thought. _At least it wasn't the fire balls the gamemakers sent. That would have been a laugh for the Capitol people. The girl on fire…literally._

Katniss was getting tired. And desperately wanted to close her eyes and go to sleep. She knows what that means. No awaking. Besides the fact that she didn't want to leave Rue and the other important people in her life. Prim. Peeta. Gale. Her mother. The pain was excruciating. It felt like someone had reached inside of her body and was trying to yank her vital organs out. The pain was excruciating. The pain was unbearable. The pain!

Katniss had once seen her mother treat a patient who was impaled by a mining shaft. Her mother said that there wasn't much they could do for him. He was a goner. But at least the injury was so severe that he didn't feel anything.

"I-It hurts, Rue." Katniss let out a small smile.

Rue looked surprised by the slightly optimistic tone in Katniss' voice. But she quickly understood. Being from District 11, agricultural workers had their fair share of injuries as well.

Relieved, Rue lets out a muffled chuckle mixed with her crying gasps. She has a chance. Katniss has a chance of surviving.


	2. Awakening

"I need to take it out." Rue warns Katniss as she stares at the shaft of the bloody spear.

"I-I know" Katniss replies uneasily.

"On three okay?" Katniss nods in approval.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three."

Rue yanks the spear out in a matter of seconds, but it feels like an eternity of torture to Katniss. Every centimeter the spear retracts feels like a flaming sword burning her flesh from the inside out.

By the time the spearhead leaves her body, the pain is too much and Katniss is exhausted. She lets out a gasp of pain and succumbs to the darkness that engulfs her.

Her eyes flutter open. She is staring at the bright gleaming light above. _It feels so warm. Am I dead?_ Katniss asks herself. She reaches up toward the light but is quickly jolted back to reality when she feels a sharp pain in her torso. Katniss lets out a grunt of discomfort. In an instant little Rue is hovering over her.

"You're awake!" Rue smiles at her.

"How long have I been out?" Katniss asks as she begins to gather her senses.

"Three days." Rue responds nonchalantly.

Katniss knows a lot can happen in three days. "W-what about Peeta?" she asks terrified that the District 12 boy's name was featured in the arena's sky nights ago. She tries to sit up at the thought of Peeta dead.

"Katniss, stop! You're going to hurt yourself more. Take it easy!" She gently pushes Katniss back down on the makeshift bed she constructed out of the sleeping bag and the orange backpack as a pillow. "He's fine. As far as I know he's still down by the river."

Hearing Peeta is alive, Katniss is able to regain her composure. She then feels the temporary bandage Rue has made for her wound and realizes Rue is doing all in her power to nurse Katniss back to health.

Thankful for having Rue as an ally, Katniss shows her gratitude, "Thank you…for saving me."

"Of course, Katniss. I guess we can call it even now." Rue chuckles.

"Haha…OW…don't make me laugh." Katniss grimaces.

"You must be starving!" Rue jumps up and makes her way to the backpack.

"We only have berries and a few crackers left. Sorry." She hands Katniss what's left of their small food supply and the water flask.

"That's okay, I'll go hunting soon."

"Not too soon okay?"

"Rue, we can't stay here any longer. It's not safe. And besides we need to go find Peeta."

"Alright, we'll go tomorrow. Now lay still I need to change your bandage."

Katniss complies with Rue's command. She is slightly relieved that the three of them are still alive and have a possibility of making it to the end. Now they just have to find Peeta.

**What do you think? What should happen next? Let me know!**


	3. Finding Peeta

Katniss lay awake under the arena's night sky for what seems like days. She can't fall asleep despite the fact that she desperately needs rest to recover from her injury and strength to survive in the games.

She can't stop thinking about Peeta. Where he is. If he is wounded. If he is wondering about her. She doesn't know if she's anxious to find him or worried that some one else might find him first.

Katniss doesn't think the sun can rise any slower. Thankfully it does, and Katniss is already packing up their belongings before Rue can stir from her slumber.

"You're up early." Rue says as she rubs her sleepy eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" Katniss asks, caring more about Rue's well being than her own.

Rue nods and sees Katniss, obviously slowed by her injury, struggling to roll up the sleeping bag and makes her way over to help.

"It'll be faster if you let me help." Katniss shrugs and allows Rue to put away the rest of the items.

Just before they set off to find Peeta, the two share what's left of the crackers and berries for a small breakfast. Rue kindly sacrifices her crackers in order to help Katniss regain some her strength.

After the light meal, they cover their traces and make their way into the forest-covered arena to search for Peeta.

Normally it would take half the time it takes Rue and Katniss to make it to the river. But Katniss is still weakened by her injury and constantly trips and stumbles carelessly on objects easily avoidable for a healthy person. Rue eyes her worriedly and gestures that she can be used for Katniss to lean against for support. But Katniss is stubborn and refuses to take the help.

By the time they make it to the river Katniss's exhaustion forces her to give in. Katniss has her arm around Rue's neck while the other clings to her wounded side tightly. Rue grips Katniss's hand and uses the other to hold her at the waist.

"Look!" Rue shouts in surprise as she leans Katniss against a tree. Rue quickly makes her way to a boulder at the side of the river where the blood is splattered. She touches the liquid with two fingers and rubs it in between her forefinger and her thumb to feel its consistency.

"Peeta's?" Katniss asks worried that Peeta is gravely injured. But wounded is better than dead right?

"Let's follow it." Rue suggests as she makes her way back to Katniss.

It's been hours since they first found the blood trail. Peeta must have traveled miles up the river to escape from the careers.

Finally they are forced to stop when they can't find any more drops of blood.

"He has to be around here somewhere."

"Peeta! Peeta!" Katniss begins to call for him not caring who else could possibly hear.

Katniss hears a groan beneath her feet and jumps back.

"Katniss?" Wedged between two boulders, covered and moss and mud, Peeta lays. If he lay perfectly still, no tribute would be able to see him.

"Oh my god, Peeta!" Katniss shouts. "Rue he's over here!" She kneels beside him and begins to tear away the moss and mud he is covered in.

As most of the camouflage is removed from Peeta, Katniss discovers the large gash on his thigh.

"Peeta, you're hurt."

"So are you." Peeta replies after seeing the red seep through Katniss's shirt. Through all the commotion of finding Peeta, Katniss didn't realize her movements have made her wound bleed again.

"I'm fine, Peeta. What was it?" By know Rue is also at Peeta's side beginning to inspect the wound.

"Cato's sword." Peeta winces. "And you?"

"District 2's spear. She saved me." Rue replied before Katniss could say a word.

"We have to get out of here. We're not in any shape to fight off the careers." Katniss changes the subject.

Rue and Peeta nod in agreement but it's easier said than done. Peeta and Katniss are both in need of assistance, but Katniss stubbornly denies the need again and insists on helping carry Peeta.

Slowly, with Peeta understandably trying to put more of his weight on to Rue than Katniss, the trio makes it to the mouth of a cave a few miles from where they found Peeta. Rue enters first, being the healthiest, checking to see if any tributes or creatures are residing in the cave.

When the coast is clear Katniss and Peeta make their way in. Rue helps sit Peeta down against the back wall of the cave first, then moves to Katniss who still insists she can manage on her own.

Rue grabs the flask of water out of the pack and proceeds to clean the gash on Peeta's thigh. Peeta grimaces as the cloth touches the open wound, but his hand finds Katniss's fortunately. They both tighten their grip on each other's hands as Rue tends to each of their wounds.

As Rue finishes, she spots the two holding hands, chuckles then decides to leave the two alone. "I think I'll go get some berries and water."

"Stay close." The duo says in unison.

Finally having some privacy Peeta asks, "It's bad isn't it?"

"No you'll be fine!" Katniss tells Peeta reassuring herself more than he. She can already feel his fever coming on by just touching his hand.

"Katniss, I know what blood poisoning is. I'm not-"

"No! I'll get you some medicine. We can go home Peeta!"

"But Rue…" Peeta and Katniss both know that only two members of the same district can go home but they decide to ignore the inevitable and quickly change the subject.

"How many are left?"

"Um I don't know. Cato, Clove, the boy from Rue's district, and th-"

"Attention tributes. There will be a feast held at the Cornucopia at dawn. Each of you will find something that you desperately need in a backpack marked with your district number. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance."

"No, Katniss, you're not going." Peeta knows her answer before saying a word.

"You need the medicine!"

"It doesn't matter! All of them will be there. It's suicide!" Peeta grips Katniss's shoulder. "Promise me you won't go."

"I promise" Katniss has already made her decision and nothing can change her mind. She leans in to kiss Peeta before she makes her way to the Cornucopia. Just as her soft lips meet his warm ones, Rue runs into the cave.

"Did you hear that?" Katniss and Peeta quickly move away from each other.

"Yes, but we're not going" Peeta says sternly.

Katniss stares at Rue and nods but Rue can see it in her eyes. She's already made the decision to go.

Peeta falls unconscious shortly after, giving Rue and Katniss time to conjure up a plan.

"We need something that'll make him sleep long enough so I have time to make it to the Cornucopia and back without him noticing." Katniss glances at the camera hoping Haymitch will take the hint and send them something.

"Katniss, you can't go by yourself. You're still weak."

"It's too dangerous for you to go, Rue. Besides someone needs to stay with Peeta."

"Going alone is guaranteeing your death Katniss and Peeta will be fine by himself."

Rue may be small but she can be persistent in an argument.

"Fine, but you have to stay behind me and do everything as I say." Katniss finally gives in.

Katniss and Rue hear a faint beeping noise outside the cave and realize that Haymitch has sent them something. Rue jogs outside quickly and makes her way back inside with a small pack attached to a silver parachute. Katniss opens the pack to discover a small syringe and a note that reads: _Good luck._ Katniss smiles, looks at the camera and mouths "Thank you" to Haymitch.

With the syringe to subdue Peeta, Rue and Katniss gather their few weapons and lay down for a few hours of rest before they make their way to the Cornucopia at dawn.


	4. The Feast

With Peeta already asleep, Rue and Katniss finish gathering their supplies for the morning when they are suddenly startled by the Capitol jingle.

Both turn towards each other with confused looks, wondering who could have been killed that day. They make their way outside just in time to catch the picture of Thresh, the tribute from District 11, dissolve in the arena's night sky.

Rue and Katniss instantly know what this means. Rue has no chance of winning the Games now. Her fate has been decided.

"I'm sorry" Katniss tries to comfort the girl. Rue is strong. Despite reminding Katniss of her little sister Prim, Rue also slightly reminds Katniss of herself. Being the oldest in her family as well, Rue carries much of the family's responsibility on her shoulders.

But Katniss can see the pain in Rue's eyes. She shifts her body next to Rue's and rubs gentle circles on her back comfortingly.

"We'll all be fine." Katniss tries to reassure Rue.

She lets Rue snuggle up under her chin for the night. Katniss is exhausted and quickly falls asleep but Rue lay awake all night gazing at ceiling of the cave.

Just before the sun rises, Katniss and Rue awaken, gather their remaining supplies, administer the sleeping drug to Peeta, and make their way towards the Cornucopia.

Katniss and Rue sit hidden in the shrubbery that borders the Cornucopia. They wait, watching for a sign of any other tributes. But no one comes. Rays of sun now glisten off the Cornucopia and the faint songs of mockingjays are heard in the distance.

Just as the Capitol hovercraft puts the table full of packs for the tributes in place, a figure darts off toward the Cornucopia, snatches a pack, and races off. Foxface, Katniss recognizes her. Katniss and Rue commend her clever strategy.

When Foxface is out of sight, Katniss decides it is time to make her move.

"Stay here." Katniss commands Rue as she makes her way out of the shrubbery.

Katniss sprints for the table, but immediately senses danger as soon as she leaves the cover of the forest. Ignoring the feeling, she secures the strap of the pack on her arm and turns the corner of Cornucopia. She's almost made it passed the clearing when she spots a knife hurdling right at her head. Unfortunately, she is not quick enough to dodge it, causing it to slice her forehead.

The gash sends blood gushing down her face, blinding her right eye. Without hesitation, she readies her bow in the direction where the knife came. Disoriented, Katniss knows her arrow will miss as soon as it leaves her bow.

As she reaches in her quiver for a second arrow, a figure slams hard into her, knocking her to the ground. Before Katniss can even react, the girl from District 2, Clove, is on top of her, pinning her shoulders to the ground with her knees.

Luckily, Katniss is able to free her right arm for a moment and connects her fist with Clove's jaw. But Clove rebounds quickly, jabbing her knee into Katniss side and re-pinning her shoulders to the ground. Katniss involuntarily lets out a grunt of pain. Clove realizes she's jabbed Katniss in her wound when she begins to see the blood soak through her shirt.

"Aw, did I hurt you? I'm sorry." Clove scowls sarcastically.

In anger, Katniss tries to dismount Clove, but it's no use, she is too heavy and her grip is too tight. All Katniss can hope is that Rue is smart enough not to come out of her hiding spot to try and help her. And that Clove will at least make it quick. But she knows Clove means to savor the moment.

"Where's Lover Boy, District 12? Still hanging on?"

"He's out there right now. Hunting Cato." Katniss growls, and then proceeds to scream his name. "Peeta!"

Clove jams her fist into Katniss's windwipe, effectively shutting her up.

"Liar. Cato knows where he cut him." Clove grins widely. "What's this?" she asks poking at the pack. "Medicine for Lover Boy? Too bad he'll never get it."

Clove opens her jacket and searches for the cruelest knife in her array.

"What do you say we give the audience a good show?" Katniss begins to struggle underneath her.

"Forget it, Twelve. We're going to kill you. Guess you'll never get to say goodbye to your boyfriend. How sad." In a last act of defiance, Katniss gathers up a mouthful of blood and saliva spits it in Clove's face. She laughs and wipes it away. Unexpectedly, she uses her two fingers to dig into Katniss re-opened wound on her side. She can't help but scream in agony by the shear torture.

"Whoops! All right then. Let's get started." Clove mocks.

In her last attempt to die with dignity, Katniss stares Clove directly in the eyes, and clamps her jaw tightly bracing for the pain. Just as the knife's blade begins to cut Katniss lip, Clove's weight is effortlessly lifted off of her body. Stunned, Katniss is unable to process what just happened.

At first she thinks its Cato, coming to finish her off himself, but that thought is quickly replaced when she hears Clove screaming. Through her blurred vision she is able to make out Peeta gripping Clove tightly with a knife held at her throat.

At first she is confused. Did the sleeping serum wear off? How did he get there? Did he limp all the way from the cave? Just to save her?

She blinks a few times to reassure herself that she's not hallucinating and gathers her senses.

"Kill her, Peeta!" She screams.

"Not so fast, District 12."

Out of the forest walks Cato, with a tight grip on Rue and his sword held at her throat.

"You kill Clove, I kill her."

Katniss, still on the ground, stares at Rue in disbelief. She sees the sorry in her eyes.

"Let her go, Cato." Peeta snarls. By now he has limped his way in front of Katniss as a defensive position.

"No! Kill her, Cato!" Clove screams.

"Shut up!" Peeta's grip on Clove tightens.

"Let them both go on three." They compromise.

"Fine."

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

They simultaneously release the girls and push them in each other's direction. With everyone caught up in the commotion, Katniss is able to crawl to her bow. She grabs an arrow from her quiver, loads her bow, and shakily aims at Cato. Before Cato, can realize what's going on, he has Katniss's arrow lodged in his shoulder.

"You bitch!" He screams at Katniss.

"This isn't over." Cato snarls and then motions to Clove. "Let's go."

Both sides start off in opposite directions knowing that they are all in no shape to finish each other off.

When Cato and Clove are safely out of sight Rue and Peeta both make their way to Katniss lying on the ground covered in her own blood.

"What were you thinking?" He eases himself down next to her and gently lays his head in his lap.

"I had to get you the medicine." She smiles at him.

Rue unties the pack from around Katniss's arm and retrieves the syringe containing the medicine. Without hesitating, she jams the needle into Peeta's arm and presses down on the plunger.

"Ow! Thanks for the warning, Rue."

"Sorry!" She chuckles.

"Do you think it's working?" Katniss asks.

"It already feels much better!" Peeta smiles at her.

All three of them let out a sigh of relief. They all made it out of the feast alive.

"We better get back to the cave. We need to get Katniss cleaned up." Rue suggests. They both look at her, drifting in and out of conscious, the gash on her forehead and her injured side still bleeding profusely.

Peeta insists on carrying Katniss back to the cave because he says he is feeling much better, and Katniss is in no shape to argue. Rue walks along side Peeta, acting as a crutch anytime he needs support.

The Gamemakers are satisfied by the brawl that occurred at the feast, but only for the moment…


End file.
